MARION

Monte Carlo, Monaco

“Finally! I’m so tired and jet-lagged!” Demetria groaned as she collapsed onto the mattress, arms spread wide. Fourteen hours in the air from L.A. had drained her, and honestly, me too.

We’d flown in on my private jet, landing at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport before slipping into a sleek black car for the drive to Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. The hotel sat like a jewel on the Place du Casino, timeless, glamorous, its name tied to royalty and whispers of old ...